What Do You Call That…Thing?

Find out the rarely used names of 12 everyday items

Question: What's that little plastic thingamajig at the end of your shoelace called? We didn't know either! In fact, there are a ton of unusually named gadgets, gizmos, whose-its and what's-its that we commonly experience or use every day. Read on for 12 things you didn't even know had a name.

Aglet

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The word aglet (or aiglet) comes from Old French aguillette (or aiguillette), meaning "needle." And thanks to it, your shoelaces last a lot longer than they otherwise would. It's the plastic piece at the end that keeps them from fraying. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

Borborygmus

Next time your stomach growls, just look up, smile and apologize for your borborygmus. The word is derived from New Latin, but traces back to the Greek borboryzein, which means "to rumble." Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

Favicon

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One of the newest words on our list, the favicon is that little icon that shows up next to a site's Web address (ours is a WD in a red box). It comes from a combination of the words favorite and icon. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

Ferrule

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You know the metal part that attaches a pencil to its eraser? Well, believe it or not, that's got a name: It's called a ferrule. The word actually applies to any ring or cap around a cane or tool handle that strengthens it and prevents splitting. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

Grawlix

This term was coined by the American cartoonist Mort Walker in 1964 for the string of symbols used to represent obscenities. For example: "@#$%&, I banged my toe!" Photograph courtesy of Brett Lamb / Getty.

Interrobang

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This term is printers' slang, coined around 1967, for the punctuation at the end of an emphatic question that includes both a question mark and an exclamation point. For example: "What, are you crazy?!" Photograph courtesy of altrendo images / Getty.

Keeper

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One of the more annoying fashion malfunctions is when your belt loop breaks, leaving the strap to just sort of hang there and stick out. Well, that belt loop is actually called a keeper. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

Philtrum

The philtrum is the midline groove in the upper lip that runs from the top of the lip to the nose. In Judeo-Christian folklore, this spot is where the angel put his finger to shush the baby in the womb after telling it a secret or to make it forget about heaven before being born. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

Phosphenes

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You know those white lights or dots you see when you close your eyes really tightly? Those are called phosphenes. Brought on by sudden eye movement, they are often most obvious in low-light conditions and usually only last for a few seconds. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

Pips

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And here we thought dice were just dice. But they're actually much more complicated than that. Pips are the little dots on dice or dominoes that indicate numerical value. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

Punt

A punt is the indent at the bottom of a wine bottle. This concave base gives stability and extra strength, indicating a better bottle, but it also makes the bottle look fuller than it is. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

Rheum

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Every morning when you wake up, you rub the "sleep" out of your eyes. Well, that sleep is actually rheum, a watery discharge from the mucous membranes of the eyes or nose. Doesn't sound as sweet when you describe it that way, does it? Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

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